I came up with Multigrain Idli Batter since I consider idli as one of my breakfast cereals and the traditional batter just didn’t cut it. The traditional formula for idli batter is one and a half cups of idli rawa (cream of rice) for every half cup of urad dal. In Tamil Nadu, idli rawa is replaced with idli rice (also called Ponni rice). So, either way, it is a lot of rice. While it is gluten free, it still has a lot of carbs and very little nutrients (since it is polished and has no bran/hull) and is not necessarily good if you’re trying to control your blood sugar levels.
The Grain Mix
7 Grain Blend
With the Multigrain Idli Batter I have been able to substitute at least 3/4th cup of idli rawa and substitute it with some formidable grains like steel cut oats, pearled barley, millets, brown rice, flax seeds etc, to make a significant improvement in the nutrition value. There was a lot of trial and error before I got to the right combination, to get those lovely fluffy idlis that I love. One other grain combination I tried out was the Dunya 7 Grain Blend (which does not have flax seeds so you need to add separately), and this turned out good too. So, if you decide to try this blend, it is 3/4th cup each of this blend, urad dal, and idli rawa, and a teaspoon of flax seeds.
Fermenting the Batter
The final challenge you will face is fermenting the batter, especially in the winters. Today as I write, the temperature here in Chicago is minus 16 F with wind chill (minus 26 C). Feels like Antarctica! Not a great temperature for fermenting idli batter. 🙂 For the batter to ferment well, it should be set in a temperature about 80 to 90 F for about 6 to 8 hours. I’ve been able to do this by leaving the batter (in a glass jar) in the oven with the light on. This was Malathy’s idea and has worked out great. You’ll notice that the batter would have risen by an inch or 2 after the stipulated time. That’s when you to refrigerate it.
Enjoy healthy idlis!
Idli Batter is fermented – fermented foods are foods that have been through a process of lacto-fermentation in which natural bacteria feed on the sugar and starch in the food creating lactic acid. This process preserves the food, and creates beneficial enzymes, b-vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids, and various strains of probiotics. In addition to this, we use multiple grains and Flax Seeds that enhance the nutritional value significantly.
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Multigrain Idli Batter
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Urad Dal - Split Black Gram
- 1/3 Cup Brown Rice
- 1/8 Cup Oats - Groats or Steel Cut
- 1/8 Cup Millets - Whole
- 1/8 Cup Barley - Whole
- 1 Teaspoon Flaxseeds - Whole
- 1 Pinch Baking Soda
- 1/6 Cup Idli Rawa - (Cream of Rice)
- 1/2 Tablespoon Sea Salt - Or To Taste
Instructions
- Soak urad dal, brown rice, oats, millet, barley, and flax seed in a container for 6-8 hours. Water level should be at least 2 inches over the grains
- Wash Idli Rava, drain water and add to the batter in the mixer/grinder
- Grind in mixer/grinder until you have a pancake batter consistency. Add the baking soda and mix well.
- Transfer batter to a glass jar and leave it overnight in a warm place to allow batter to ferment. Make sure there's enough room in the jar since fermentation will cause the batter to rise. It helps to keep a tray under the jar in case of accidents! This batter can be refrigerated for 3-5 days.
Thank you for sharing. This looks delicious and nutritious! When do you add the baking soda?
Thanks for catching the slip-up. The baking soda can be added to the batter before the fermentation process. I have updated the recipe to reflect this. Let us know how this turns out.
Sounds so healthy!
I have 2 questions, can you use idly rice instead of idly raws? If so how much?
And what type of millets do you use?
I tried your delicious multi grain dosa recipe and it turned out great.
Thank you for your compliments on the multi-grain dosa recipe, Indhu! As for your questions: 1. Yes, you can use idly rice – use the same quantity as idly rawa. 2. You can use either kodo, barnyard or foxtail millets. Thanks for visiting and commenting.
Thank you
Welcome!
What may I substitute for brown rice, please?
Thank you for your help.
Hi Cathleen, you can substitute white rice for this recipe. Hope this helps.
Is it ok to use pearled barley?
Hi Indhu, yes the recipe actually has pearled barley, along with steel cut oats, millets, brown rice and flax seeds.
The recipe says whole barley and I wasn’t sure if pearled barley is the same thing. Thanks.
They are! 🙂